Apparatus and method for implementing a differential drive amplifier and a coil arrangement

ABSTRACT

Exemplary embodiments are directed to differentially driving a load. An apparatus includes a differential drive amplifier including a switching device coupled with a first output node and a second output node. The first output node and the second output node drive a load network including primary coils. The differential drive amplifier also includes a drive circuit configured to drive the switching device. The drive circuit may be configured to provide a drive signal to the switching device to alter a conductive state of the switching device to produce a first output signal at the first output node and a second output signal at the second output node. The first and second output signals may be substantially equal in magnitude but opposite in polarity relative to a reference voltage.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY UNDER 35 U.S.C. §119

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to:

U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/267,329 entitled “APPARATUS ANDMETHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING A DIFFERENTIAL DRIVE AMPLIFIER AND A COILARRANGEMENT” filed on Dec. 7, 2009, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to noisecancellation, and, more particularly, relate to the configuration of adifferential drive amplifier and a coil arrangement.

2. Background

A shortcoming of long range and/or alignment insensitive wireless powersystems can be the emission of high levels of conducted and radiatednoise. For example, some loosely coupled wireless power systems canutilize high voltages and large primary coils, both of which cancontribute to noise emission when signals generated via switching areinputs to the system. Such systems can pose electromagnetic interferencechallenges when the systems operate near other electronic products(e.g., mobile phones, game controllers, media playback devices, etc.).

A portion of the noise generated by these systems is common-mode.Common-mode noise can be attributed to the use of high voltages andunshielded primary windings with considerable surface area. Highvoltages may be utilized when a system is operating at or near resonanceto overcome weak coupling between the primary and secondary coils. Theuse of large, unshielded primary windings to transmit power over longdistances can further expose surrounding areas to the resultant noise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn toscale, and wherein:

FIGS. 1, 2 a, and 2 b are schematic diagrams of single switching devicedifferential drive amplifiers in accordance with various exampleembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an example switching device in accordance withvarious example embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example drive circuit in accordance with variousexample embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a wireless power system including a wirelesstransmitter and a wireless receiver according to an example embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic diagram of a wireless power transmitterincluding a differential drive amplifier according to an exampleembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrate differential output signals according to variousexample embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a two coil arrangement for planar voltage co-locationaccording to various example embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates a first coil layout for planar voltage co-locationaccording to various example embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates a second coil layout for planar voltage co-locationaccording to various example embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 11 illustrates a two coil arrangement for planar voltageco-location on a coordinate axis according to various exampleembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a graph of the measured voltage versus distance from a centerpoint of the two coil arrangement of FIG. 10 according to variousexample embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 13 illustrates a schematic diagram of another wireless powertransmitter including a differential drive amplifier according to anexample embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 illustrates a schematic diagram of yet another differentialdrive amplifier according to an example embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 15 illustrates a flow chart of one example method of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appendeddrawings is intended as a description of exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention and is not intended to represent the only embodimentsin which the present invention can be practiced. The term “exemplary”used throughout this description means “serving as an example, instance,or illustration,” and should not necessarily be construed as preferredor advantageous over other exemplary embodiments. The detaileddescription includes specific details for the purpose of providing athorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments of the invention. Itwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that the exemplaryembodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specificdetails. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shownin block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the novelty of theexemplary embodiments presented herein.

Example embodiments of the present invention will now be described morefully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichsome, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, theinvention may be embodied in many different forms and should not beconstrued as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, theseembodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicablelegal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elementsthroughout.

Terms such as “substantially,” “about,” “approximately” or the like asused in referring to a relationship between two objects is intended toreflect not only an exact relationship but also variances in thatrelationship that may be due to various factors such as the effects ofenvironmental conditions, common error tolerances or the like. It shouldfurther be understood that although some values or other relationshipsmay be expressed herein without a modifier, these values or otherrelationships may also be exact or may include a degree of variation dueto various factors such as the effects of environmental conditions,common error tolerances or the like.

The term “wireless power” is used herein to mean any form of energyassociated with electric fields, magnetic fields, electromagneticfields, or otherwise that is transmitted between a transmitter to areceiver without the use of physical electrical conductors.

Various example apparatuses of the present invention are describedherein that include a differential drive amplifier. According to someexample embodiments, the differential drive amplifier may include asingle switching device (e.g., transistor) for receiving a singlecontrol signal (e.g., single gate drive signal) and generatingdifferential output signals that are substantially equal and oppositewith respect to each other. Due to the equal and opposite relationshipbetween the differential output signals, the signals may be used toreduce or substantially eliminate common-mode noise that is present inthe input signal. As such, the differential drive amplifier may beincluded in, for example, wireless power systems to reduce the conductedand radiated noise of the systems. Further, some example embodiments ofthe present invention also support soft-switching functionality andmaintain a phase angle versus output power relationship of a Class Eamplifier.

According to one example embodiment of the present invention, adifferential drive amplifier is provided. The differential driveamplifier may include a switching device. The switching device may be incommunication or coupled with a first output node and a second outputnode, wherein the first output node and the second output node drive aload network. The differential drive amplifier may also include a drivecircuit configured to drive the switching device, wherein the drivecircuit is configured to provide a drive signal to the switching deviceto alter a conductive state of the switching device to produce a firstoutput signal at the first output node and a second output signal at thesecond output node. The first and second output signals may besubstantially equal in magnitude but opposite in polarity relative to areference voltage.

Another example embodiment is a wireless power transmitter. The wirelesspower transmitter may include a differential drive amplifier having afirst output node and a second output node, a supply network configuredto provide power to the differential drive amplifier, and a load networkin communication or coupled with the first output node and the secondoutput node. The differential drive amplifier may comprise a switchingdevice in communication or coupled with the first output node and incommunication or coupled with the second output node, and a drivecircuit configured to provide a drive signal to the switching device.The switching device may be configured to receive the drive signal andalter a conductive state of the switching device to produce a firstoutput signal at the first output node and a second output signal at thesecond output node. The first and second output signals may besubstantially equal in magnitude but opposite in polarity relative to areference voltage.

Another example embodiment is a wireless power system. The wirelesspower system may include a wireless power receiver and a wireless powertransmitter. The wireless power receiver may include at least onesecondary coil. The wireless power transmitter may include adifferential drive amplifier having a first output node and a secondoutput node, a supply network configured to provide power to thedifferential drive amplifier, and a load network. The differential driveamplifier may comprise a switching device in communication or coupledwith the first output node and the second output node, and the loadnetwork may be driven via the first output node and the second outputnode. The differential drive amplifier may also include a drive circuitconfigured to provide a drive signal to the switching device. Theswitching device may be configured to receive the drive signal and altera conductive state of the switching device to produce a first outputsignal at the first output node and a second output signal at the secondoutput node. The first and second output signals may be substantiallyequal in magnitude but opposite in polarity relative to a referencevoltage.

According to another example embodiment of the present invention, anexample apparatus is provided, which includes a means for switching. Themeans for switching may be in communication or coupled with a firstoutput node and a second output node, wherein the first output node andthe second output node drive a load network. The apparatus may alsoinclude a means for driving the switching device, wherein the means fordriving the switching device is configured to provide a drive signal tothe switching device to alter a conductive state of the switching deviceto produce a first output signal at the first output node and a secondoutput signal at the second output node. The first and second outputsignals may be substantially equal in magnitude but opposite in polarityrelative to a reference voltage.

Yet another example embodiment of the present invention is an examplemethod. The example method may comprise receiving a drive signal from adrive circuit at a switching device, and altering a conductive state ofthe switching device based on the drive signal to produce a first outputsignal at a first output node and a second output signal at a secondoutput node. The first and second output signals may be substantiallyequal in magnitude but opposite in polarity relative to a referencevoltage. The example method may also include driving a load network withthe first output signal and the second output signal via the firstoutput node and the second output node, respectively.

Another example embodiment of the present invention is an exampleapparatus. the example apparatus may include a first coil driven by afirst signal, and a second coil driven by a second signal. The first andsecond signals may be substantially equal in magnitude but opposite inpolarity relative to a reference voltage. The first coil and the secondcoil may have a spiral configuration within a common plane that providesfor co-location of substantially equal and opposite voltages within thefirst and second coils, respectively, at any location on the commonplane.

Various example embodiments described herein provide for the generationof differential, opposing signals that are capable of limiting oreliminating common mode noise that would otherwise be output from anamplifier. The inversely oriented replica signals, when brought intoclose proximity to each other, may affect the fields generated by thesignals in a manner that substantially cancels or destroys undesirednoise. According to some example embodiments of the present invention, asingle switching device is utilized for generating a first output signaland a second output signal. The first output signal and the secondoutput signal (collectively referred to as differential output signals)may be substantially equal in magnitude, but opposite in polarity,relative to a reference voltage. According to various exampleembodiments, the differential output signals may be generated in amanner that involves a reduction in the quantity of active componentsover conventional solutions. The differential output signals may be usedto drive a load network that may comprise a variety of components,including, for example, one or more coils or windings. According tovarious example embodiments, a differential drive amplifier, such as thesingle switching device transistor differential drive amplifierdescribed herein, may be utilized in conjunction with a coil arrangementthat co-locates high and low voltages of differential output signals fornoise reduction with little or no impact on magnetic field generation.

According to various example embodiments, voltages are referred to asbeing “co-located” when a two substantially equal in magnitude, butopposite in polarity, voltages are present in substantially the samelocation. Some example embodiments of the present invention generateco-located voltages through the use of tightly coupled coil conductorshaving an arrangement that provide for substantially equal in magnitude,but opposite in polarity, voltages at a given location as furtherdescribed below. The conductors in one or more primary coils may bepositioned physically close to one another to generate co-locatedvoltages. According to some example embodiments, if implemented in thismanner, inter-coil capacitive coupling may dominate the capacitivecoupling to ground, and the electric field projected by the primary coilcan approach zero.

Together, the differential drive amplifier and the coil arrangement,according to various example embodiments, dramatically reduce themagnitude of a signal that is capacitively connected to both ground andsurrounding electronic devices. As a result, common mode emissions andinterference with other electronics may be reduced.

Various example embodiments of the present invention also increase ormaximize the efficiency of wireless power transfer, for example, forcharging the batteries of, or otherwise powering, one or more portabledevices (e.g., mobile phones, MP3 players, portable projectors, digitalcameras, and the like). Some example embodiments utilize minimal designrequirements and reduce the component requirements thereby reducingcosts. Additionally, while example embodiments described herein may bedirected to wireless power transfer, example embodiments of thedifferential drive amplifier may be implemented in a wide range ofapplications, not limited to wireless power systems.

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of an example single switching devicedifferential drive amplifier 10 according to some example embodiments ofthe present invention. The amplifier 10 includes an upper RLC(resistor/inductor/capacitor) network 20 connected to a supply voltage(+Vcc), and a lower RLC network 30 connected to ground. The uppernetwork 20 and the lower network 30 share a switching device 40, whichfloats between the two networks. The switching device 40 may receive acontrol or drive signal that may control the switching operations of theswitching device 40. The switching device 40 may also define two outputnodes n1 and n2, where differential output signals are respectivelypresent. The control or drive signal may cause the switching device toalter its conductive state. In this manner, differential output signalsmay be produced at node n1 and node n2 that are substantially equal andopposite with respect to each other.

The upper RLC network 20 may be matched with the lower RLC network 30,such that the characteristics (e.g., resistances, capacitances,inductances, and the like) of the components of the networks aresubstantially identical. According to some example embodiments, theswitching device 40 may be connected between inductors (also referred toas windings or coils) L1 and L2, which may be matched and tightlycoupled. The inductors L3 and L4 may also be matched and tightlycoupled.

As used herein, the term “float” may be used to indicate that a deviceis not connected to a fixed potential (e.g., +Vcc or ground). Forexample, a device may be floating if it is connected through non-zeroimpedance components, such as inductors or capacitors to a fixedpotential. As such, the potential at a terminal of a floating componentmay tend to wander or float with respect to a fixed potential.

The switching device 40, which may be embodied as a transistor (e.g., afield effect transistor or the like), may switch open or closed inresponse to a control or drive signal, such as the square wave depictedin FIG. 1. According to various example embodiments, the currents I1 andI2 in the upper and lower networks are in opposite directions in therespective networks. As result of the switching operations performed bythe switching device 40 and currents I1 and I2, differential outputsignals may be generated at nodes n1 and n2. Due to the coupling effectof the L3 inductor with the L4 inductor, the differential output signalsgenerated at nodes n1 and n2 may interact to eliminate noise present inthe input signal. As such, the load R_(L) may receive a signal having anassociated reduction in both conducted and radiated noise.

As stated above, the coupling between inductors L3 and L4, mayfacilitate the reduction in noise provided by the amplifier. To maximizenoise cancellation, inductors L3 and L4 may be positioned as closetogether as possible so that the inductors are strongly coupled. Inpractice, a designer may desire to come as close to the hypotheticalcase of complete noise cancellation, while still avoiding the perfectcancellation of signals. According to some example embodiments, a pairof strongly coupled inductors may be used that are combined in a singlepackage, such as the Coiltronix DRQ127-470-R, which results in theinductors being as closely coupled as possible. As a result of thestrong coupling, the current in each of the inductors may be forced tobe almost equivalent in value, facilitating the generation of theinversely oriented signals. According to example embodiments where theinductors are not included in the same package (e.g., a wireless powersystem), the inductors L3 and L4 may be inter-wounded coils used fortransmitting wireless power to one or more secondary coils and mayutilize strong coupling by maintaining the inductors in close proximity.

FIG. 2 a depicts another example embodiment of the present invention inthe form of a single switching device differential drive amplifier 50for use with a wireless power system. FIG. 2 a depicts the inductors L1and L2 of FIG. 1 as the “coupled inductors” of the amplifier 50 and theinductors L3 and L4 of FIG. 1 as the “transmitting coils” (also referredto as primary coils) of amplifier 50. Within a wireless power system thetransmitting coils may be configured to induce a current in one or moresecondary coils (not depicted) to provide wireless power to a loadconnected to the one or more secondary coils, such as to charge abattery or otherwise provided power to operate a device. Additionally,amplifier 50 reduces the number of components by combining thecapacitors C_(o) in FIG. 1 into a single capacitor C_(o)/2 (having halfthe capacitance rating).

FIG. 2 b depicts yet another example embodiment of a single switchingdevice differential drive amplifier 60. The amplifier 60 employs afurther reduction in the number of components by modifying thecapacitance network between node n1 and node n2 to eliminate the twocapacitors C and the common ground, and to include a single shuntcapacitor C/2 (having half the capacitance rating). According to someexample embodiments, the single shunt capacitor may be replaced by anumber of capacitors where the combined capacitance is C/2.

As described with respect to FIGS. 1, 2 a, and 2 b, a single switchingdevice differential drive amplifier may be provided according to variousexample embodiments of the present invention. The switching device 40utilized by various example embodiments may be any means for performingswitching with respect to a control signal. According to various exampleembodiments, the switching device may comprise a transistor, such as thefield effect transistor 70 depicted in FIG. 3. The transistor 70 is ann-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS). An NMOS transistor may be usedto control switching between the drain (D) and source (S) terminalswhich is accomplished by controlling the terminals at the gate (G) andsource (S). An NMOS may normally operate in an OFF mode (or the switchis open between drain and source), and transitions to an ON mode (or theswitch closes between drain and source) if a positive voltage is appliedat gate compared to the voltage at the source.

As such, the gate of the transistor 70 may be connected to a controlsignal or a drive signal for controlling the conductivity from thesource to the drain. In this regard, an input signal to the gate mayalter a conductive state of the transistor. As described further below,the gate of the transistor 70 (or another switching device) may beconnected to a drive signal provided by a drive circuit. The drain mayconstitute a first output node and may be connected to a supply voltagethrough an inductor. The source may constitute a second output node, andmay be connected to ground through an inductor.

The transistor 70 illustrates one example switching device that may beimplemented in accordance with various example embodiments. Other typesof switching devices may also be implemented in accordance with exampleembodiments. For example, the switching device may be embodied as, orpart of, a processor (e.g., a signal processor), an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), orthe like.

FIG. 4 illustrates a drive circuit 80 in accordance with some exampleembodiments. The drive circuit 80 may receive an input signal at 81 andprovide a drive signal at 84 to the gate of the switching device 40. Thedrive signal at 84 may be generated via a gate drive transformer 82 andan h-bridge network 83. According to some example embodiments, togenerate the drive signal at 84 for a switching device, an isolateddrive scheme may be implemented using the transformer 82. According tosome example embodiments, the transformer 82 may be a pulse transformer.The transformer 82 may sense the voltage difference across its inputterminals and apply the same voltage across its output terminals. Byconnecting the output terminals of the transformer 82 across the gateand source of the switching device 40, switching may be performed eventhough the source and the drain are floating between n1 and n2.

In some example embodiments, the switching device 40 may be designed toswitch at a rapid speed, which may require a rapidly changing drivesignal at the gate of the switching device. To achieve the rapidlychanging drive signal, the h-bridge circuit 83 may be utilized.Referring to FIG. 4, the h-bridge circuit 83 may include diodes, D1 andD2, and bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), B1 and B2. The diodes andthe capacitors, C1 and C2, may form a voltage doubler circuit, which maybe used to generate a direct current (DC) voltage across nodes n4 andn2. The BJTs may be set in a push-pull configuration to drive the gateof switching device 40 using this DC voltage. A push-pull configurationmay rely on several inherent characteristics of BJTs. B1 may be a PNPtransistor and act as a closed switch between the collector (connectedto node n4) and emitter (connected to node ng), while the BJTs basevoltage (connected to node n3) may be higher than the voltage at theemitter. On the other hand, B2 may be an NPN transistor and act as aclosed switch between its collector (connected to node n2) and emitter(connected to node ng) while its base voltage (connected to node n3) maybe lower than the voltage at the emitter. When not operating as a closedswitch both B1 and B2 may act as open switches.

When the transformer forces node n3's voltage higher than the voltage atnode n2, B1 may sense a positive voltage between its base and emitterterminals resulting in current flowing from the capacitor C1 to the gateof switching device 40. Likewise, B2 may sense the lower voltage betweenits base and its emitter causing the gate of switching device 40 todischarge to node n2. As a result, the h-bridge 83 provides for fastramp up and ramp down of the voltage of the signal at the gate ofswitching device 40 (with respect to the source) thereby allowing forrapid switching.

FIG. 5 depicts an example wireless power system in accordance withvarious example embodiments of the present invention. The wireless powersystem of FIG. 5 may include a wireless power transmitter 102 and awireless power receiver 104. The wireless power transmitter 102 mayinclude a differential drive amplifier 100, which, in turn, may includea single switching device 110 and a drive circuit 120. The drive circuit120 may receive an input signal 121. The wireless power transmitter 102may also include a supply network 130 and primary coils 140. Thewireless power receiver 104 may include secondary coils 150, a rectifier160, and a load 170, which may be a dynamic load. In some exampleembodiments, the load 170 may be rechargeable battery for an electronicdevice.

According to various example embodiments, the wireless power system ofFIG. 5 implements switching operations to convert a DC voltage providedby the supply network 130 into a high frequency signal. The differentialdrive amplifier 100 may operate, as described above, to generate twohigh frequency output signals that are differential and substantiallyequal and opposite. The differential output signals may be delivered torespective primary coils that are positioned to provide for noisecancellation through a coupling of the primary coils 140. The primarycoils 140 may be oriented such that the currents in the coils flow inthe same direction, thereby providing for noise cancellation while alsohaving a minimal effect on the magnetic field generation of the primarycoils 140. Due to the direction of the current, magnetic fields may begenerated that have the same polarity. The magnetic field may induce acurrent in the one or more secondary coils of the wireless powerreceiver 150. The one or more secondary coils 150 may receive an inducedalternating current (AC) signal, which may then be rectified, via therectifier 160, and fed to a load 170.

FIG. 6 illustrates a more detailed schematic diagram of a wireless powertransmitter. As stated above, the differential drive amplifier 100 mayutilize a DC supply provided by the supply network 130. The supplynetwork 130 may include two, tightly coupled choke inductors (LDC) 131and 132 which can feed the DC voltage to the drain and source terminalsof the switching device 110. According to some example embodiments, thetight coupling of the choke inductors 131 and 132 can be partiallyresponsible for aligning the phases of the high and low sides of thedifferential drive amplifier outputs.

The switching device 110 may comprise a transistor that is floating onan AC input at the gate terminal. An isolated drive circuit 120 mayprovide the signal to the gate terminal by receiving an input signal at121 and providing a drive or control signal to the gate of the switchingdevice 110 at 124. Similar to the isolated drive circuit illustrated inFIG. 4, the isolated drive circuit 120 may include a transformer 122 andan h-bridge 123. L1 and R1 may be included to soften the changes (dV/dT)in the drive signal and prevent high order harmonics from being created.According to various example embodiments, the drive circuit 120 assiststhe switching device 110 in maintaining zero-voltage switching acrossvarious loading conditions.

In some example embodiments, the drive circuit may provide a stepfunction input signal to the switching device 110. FIG. 7 illustratesexample differential output signals with respect to ground that begenerated at the output nodes of the switching device based on a stepfunction input signal. The step function may generate differentialoutput signals that are half-sine signals. Signal 111 may be a positiveoutput signal that may be captured at the drain of the switching device110. Signal 112 may be a negative output signal that may be captured atthe source of the switching device 110. It is noteworthy that signals111 and 112 are substantially equal in magnitude, but opposite inpolarity relative to a reference voltage. In the example illustrated inFIG. 7, the reference voltage is approximately 6 volts. However, inaccordance with various example embodiments, the reference voltage maybe, for example, zero volts.

The shunt capacitor network 101, the balance capacitor network 103, andthe primary coil network 180 of FIG. 6 may be included in a loadnetwork. A wireless power system in accordance with example embodimentsmay also include a receiver (not shown in FIG. 6) including one or moresecondary coils and a rectifier to receive power from the primary coils140 a and 140 b. In some example embodiments, the receiver may also beincluded in the load network.

The shunt capacitor network 101 may be connected between the outputnodes (e.g., the drain and the source) of the switching device 110. Theshunt capacitor network 101 of FIG. 6 includes a single capacitor 102,however, some example embodiments of the present invention may include anumber of capacitors within the shunt capacitor network 101. Accordingto some example embodiments, the shunt capacitor network 101 facilitatestuning the switching device 110 for zero-voltage switching when theswitching device 110 is implemented as a transistor. In this regard,charge may be alternatively stored and released from shunt capacitornetwork 102 in response to the switching operations.

The balance capacitor network 103 may include a number of capacitors(e.g., capacitors 104, 105, and 106) that are used to provide anisolated ground reference, which may contribute to improved balancebetween the differential drive amplifier output signals. According tosome example embodiments, capacitors 104 and 105 may be matched. Theconnections to ground included in the balance capacitor network 103 mayalso provide a path to shunt high-frequency noise to ground.

The primary coil network 180 may include primary coils 140 a and 140 band series capacitor 141 connected between and in series with the coils.Alternatively, in some example embodiments, the primary coil network 180may include a single primary coil. In a two coil network, the primarycoils 140 a and 140 b may be a pair of equal-length coils that aretightly coupled. The tight coupling of the two primary coils may alsofacilitate maintaining the phase relationship between the differentialamplifier output signals. By positioning the primary coils 140 a and 140b such that current flows through the coils in the same direction, theprimary coils 140 a and 140 b may co-locate voltages with equal andopposite potential and reduce noise emissions. Because the currents flowthrough the primary coils 140 a and 140 b in the same direction, themagnetic fields generated by the coils are unaffected or substantiallyunaffected. The magnetic fields generated by the first coil and thesecond coil may have the same polarity. The series capacitor 141 may beconnected between the primary coils to facilitate bringing the load intoa phase angle that is suitable from the perspective of the differentialdrive amplifier. In some example embodiments, as an alternative to theseries capacitor, a first capacitor may be connected between the firstoutput node of the switching device and the first coil, and a secondcapacitor may be connected between the second output node of theswitching device and the second coil. The first and second capacitorsmay have capacitance ratings that are double the capacitance of theseries capacitor 141. According to the some example embodiments, thefirst and second capacitors may be implemented in conjunction with aprimary coil network that includes a single coil.

According to some example embodiments, the primary coil network 180 maybe configured to facilitate noise cancellation by co-locatingsubstantially equal and opposite voltages at any location on a planarsurface defined by the primary coil network. According to some exampleembodiments, the primary coil network 180 may be configured to co-locatesubstantially equal and opposite voltages at any location in athree-dimensional space surrounding the primary coil network 180.According to various example embodiments the primary coils may be drivenby differential output signals as described above. However, according tosome example embodiments, the primary coil arrangements andconfigurations described herein may be utilized in conjunction with anytype of differential drive amplifier, including but not limited to asingle switching device differential drive amplifier as describedherein. For example, the primary coil arrangements and configurationsmay be used with a differential drive amplifier that includes multipleswitching devices and/or transistors.

With respect to the positional configuration of the primary coils, eachprimary coil may be wound as a spiral on a geometric plane. Tofacilitate co-location of voltages, the distance between each turn of acoil may be increased as the spiral configuration moves towards thecenter of an area. The first coil and the second coil may therefore havea spiral configuration within a common plane that provides forco-location of substantially equal and opposite voltages within thefirst and second coils, respectively, at any location on the commonplane. According to some example embodiments, a single coil may beutilized that spirals into a center point or area, and then spirals backout. As such, a coil arrangement may be constructed of two coils thatare connected at a central location to achieve a single coil exampleembodiment.

FIG. 8 illustrates a two coil arrangement according to various exampleembodiments of the present invention. FIG. 9 illustrates the exampleembodiment of FIG. 8 with only the first coil being depicted. FIG. 10illustrates the example embodiment of FIG. 8 with only the second coilbeing depicted.

FIG. 11 illustrates a two coil arrangement oriented on a coordinatesystem axis for measuring distances from the center or origin. Whendifferential output signals are applied to the coils, co-location ofsubstantially equal and opposite voltages can be achieved. To illustratethe effect of the coil configurations, voltages may be measured at eachturn of the coils. Each turn is associated with a particular location onthe coordinate system. FIG. 12 depicts a graph of the voltages measuredat each turn. The data points with voltages above zero are associatedwith measurements taken at turns of a first coil, and the data pointswith voltage below zero are associated with measurements taken at turnsof a second coil. Since the turns are positioned at a particulardistance from the center, the horizontal axis can be defined withrespect to distance. As indicated by the data points, measurements takenon the first coil and on the second coil have equal and oppositevoltages at the same or substantially the same distance from the center.

In addition to, or as an alternative to, arranging a primary coilnetwork as described above, a secondary coil network may be arranged ina similar manner. In this regard, the coil arrangements may also beimplementing in a receiver of a wireless power system. The secondarycoil network may utilize a center tap to ground coil configuration withsimilar coil geometry to achieve similar results.

FIG. 13 depicts another example embodiment of the present invention inthe form a wireless power transmitter that includes a single switchingdevice differential drive amplifier. The wireless power transmitter ofFIG. 7 is similar to wireless power transmitter depicted in FIG. 6, inthat, the wireless power transmitter of FIG. 7 includes a supplynetwork, a drive circuit, a switching device, a shunt capacitor network,a balance capacitor network, and a primary coil network. Partidentifiers, passive device values, and part characteristics are alsoprovided, by way of example, for the elements of the example embodimentof FIG. 7. Similarly, FIG. 14 depicts yet another example embodiment ofa differential drive amplifier that is not connected to a primary coilnetwork.

Various example methods of the present invention may also be providedthat include method operations derived from the apparatuses describedabove. One example method is depicted in FIG. 15. The example method ofFIG. 15 includes receiving a drive signal from a drive circuit at aswitching device at 200, and altering a conductive state of theswitching device based on the drive signal at 210. By altering aconductive state of the switching device, a first output signal at afirst output node and a second output signal at a second output node maybe produced. The first and second output signals may be substantiallyequal in magnitude but opposite in polarity relative to a referencevoltage. The example method may also include driving a load network withthe first output signal and the second output signal via the firstoutput node and the second output node, respectively at 220.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theseinventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associateddrawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain examplecombinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated thatdifferent combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided byalternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appendedclaims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elementsand/or functions other than those explicitly described above are alsocontemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims.Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a genericand descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

The previous description of the disclosed exemplary embodiments isprovided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use thepresent invention. Various modifications to these exemplary embodimentswill be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the genericprinciples defined herein may be applied to other embodiments withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the presentinvention is not intended to be limited to the exemplary embodimentsshown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with theprinciples and novel features disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for reducing an amplifier outputnoise, comprising: a switching device having a conductive state andconfigured to receive a drive signal, the switching device coupled to afirst output node and a second output node, the conductive state alteredbased on the drive signal to produce a first output signal having afirst current value at the first output node and a second output signalhaving a second current value at the second output node, the first andsecond current values substantially equal in magnitude; and a first coildriven by the first output node; and a second coil driven by the secondoutput node, the first coil and the second coil configured to wirelesslyoutput power at a level sufficient to power or charge a receiver device.2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching device is configuredto float between the first output and the second output node, the firstoutput node coupled with ground through a first choke inductor and thesecond output node coupled with a supply voltage through a second chokeinductor.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first choke inductorand the second choke inductor are positioned to have a coupling effect.4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a drive circuitconfigured to generate the drive signal.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4,wherein the drive circuit is an isolated drive circuit comprising atransformer.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising acapacitance network coupled between the first output node and the secondoutput node, the capacitance network including one or more capacitorsbetween the first output node and the second output node.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 1, further comprising a capacitance network, thecapacitance network including one or more capacitors between the firstoutput node and ground, and one or more capacitors between the secondoutput node and the ground.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thefirst coil and the second coil are arranged such that currents throughthe first coil and the second coil generate respective magnetic fieldshaving the same polarity.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one ormore capacitors is included between the first coil and the second coil.10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a differential driveamplifier comprising the switching device, the first output node, andthe second output node.
 11. A method for reducing an amplifier outputnoise, comprising: receiving a drive signal from a drive circuit at aswitching device; altering a conductive state of the switching devicebased on the drive signal to produce a first output signal having afirst current value at a first output node and a second output signalhaving a second current value at a second output node, the first andsecond current values being substantially equal in magnitude; anddriving a first coil with the first output signal by the first outputnode and a second coil with the second output signal by the secondoutput node; and wirelessly outputting power by the first coil and thesecond coil at a level sufficient to power or charge a receiver device.12. An apparatus for reducing an amplifier output noise, comprising:means for receiving a drive signal from a drive circuit at a switchingdevice; means for altering a conductive state of the switching devicebased on the drive signal to produce a first output signal having afirst current value at a first output node and a second output signalhaving a second current value at a second output node, the first andsecond current values being substantially equal in magnitude; and meansfor driving a first coil with the first output signal by the firstoutput node and a second coil with the second output signal by thesecond output node, the first coil and the second coil configured towirelessly output power at a level sufficient to power or charge areceiver device.
 13. An apparatus for powering or charging a device,comprising: a first coil driven by a first signal having a first currentvalue; and a second coil driven by a second signal having a secondcurrent value, the first and second current values being substantiallyequal in magnitude, the first coil and the second coil having a spiralconfiguration within a common plane that provides for co-location ofsubstantially equal and opposite voltages within the first and secondcoils, respectively, at substantially any location on the common plane,the first coil and the second coil configured to wirelessly output powerat a level sufficient to power or charge a receiver device.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 13, wherein the first coil is physically connected tothe second coil at a central point to generate a single coilarrangement.
 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first coil andthe second coil are positioned to have a coupling effect.
 16. The methodof claim 11, wherein the switching device is configured to float betweenthe first output node and the second output node, the first output nodecoupled with ground through a first choke inductor and the second outputnode coupled with a supply voltage through a second choke inductor. 17.The method of claim 16, wherein the first choke inductor and the secondchoke inductor are positioned to have a coupling effect.
 18. The methodof claim 11, wherein the first coil and the second coil are positionedto have a coupling effect.
 19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein theswitching device is configured to float between the first output nodeand the second output node, the first output node coupled with groundthrough a first choke inductor and the second output node coupled with asupply voltage through a second choke inductor.
 20. The apparatus ofclaim 19, wherein the first choke inductor and the second choke inductorare positioned to have a coupling effect.
 21. The apparatus of claim 12,wherein the first coil and the second coil are positioned to have acoupling effect.
 22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switchingdevice comprises a single switching device.
 23. The method of claim 11,wherein the switching device comprises a single switching device. 24.The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the switching device comprises asingle switching device.
 25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the firstcoil and the second coil are connected at a central point to generate asingle coil arrangement.
 26. The method of claim 11, wherein the firstcoil and the second coil are connected at a central point to generate asingle coil arrangement.
 27. The method of claim 11, further comprisinggenerating the drive signal with the drive circuit.
 28. The method ofclaim 27, wherein the drive circuit is an isolated drive circuitcomprising a transformer.
 29. The method of claim 11, wherein theswitching device comprises a capacitance network coupled between thefirst output node and the second output node, the capacitance networkincluding one or more capacitors between the first output node and thesecond output node.
 30. The method of claim 11, wherein the switchingdevice comprises a capacitance network, the capacitance networkincluding one or more capacitors between the first output node andground and one or more capacitors between the second output node and theground.
 31. The method of claim 11, wherein the first coil and thesecond coil are arranged such that currents through the first coil andthe second coil generate respective magnetic fields having the samepolarity.
 32. The method of claim 11, wherein the switching deviceincludes one or more capacitors between the first coil and the secondcoil.
 33. The method of claim 11, wherein a differential drive amplifiercomprises the switching device, the first output node, and the secondoutput node.
 34. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first coil andthe second coil are connected at a central point to generate a singlecoil arrangement.
 35. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprisingmeans for generating the drive signal, the means for generating thedrive signal comprising the drive circuit.
 36. The apparatus of claim35, wherein the drive circuit is an isolated drive circuit comprising atransformer.
 37. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means forcapacitively coupling the first output node and the second output node,the means for capacitively coupling including one or more capacitorsbetween the first output node and the second output node.
 38. Theapparatus of claim 12, further comprising first means for capacitivelycoupling the first output node and ground and second means forcapacitively coupling the second output node and the ground, the firstmeans for capacitively coupling including one or more capacitors betweenthe first output node and the ground, the second means for capacitivelycoupling including one or more capacitors between the second output nodeand the ground.
 39. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first coiland the second coil are arranged such that currents through the firstcoil and the second coil generate respective magnetic fields having thesame polarity.
 40. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising meansfor capacitively coupling the first coil and the second coil, the meansfor capacitively coupling including one or more capacitors between thefirst coil and the second coil.
 41. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein adifferential drive amplifier comprises the switching device, the firstoutput node, and the second output node.
 42. A method for powering orcharging a device, comprising: driving a first coil by a first signalhaving a first current value; and driving a second coil by a secondsignal having a second current value, the first and second currentvalues being substantially equal in magnitude, the first coil and thesecond coil having a spiral configuration within a common plane thatprovides for co-location of substantially equal and opposite voltageswithin the first and second coils, respectively, at substantially anylocation on the common plane, the first coil and the second coilconfigured to wirelessly output power at a level sufficient to power orcharge a receiver device.
 43. The method of claim 42, wherein the firstcoil is physically connected to the second coil at a central point togenerate a single coil arrangement.
 44. An apparatus for powering orcharging a device, comprising: means for driving a first coil by a firstsignal having a first current value; and means for driving a second coilby a second signal having a second current value, the first and secondcurrents being substantially equal in magnitude, the first coil and thesecond coil having a spiral configuration within a common plane thatprovides for co-location of substantially equal and opposite voltageswithin the first and second coils, respectively, at substantially anylocation on the common plane, the first coil and the second coilconfigured to wirelessly output power at a level sufficient to power orcharge a receiver device.
 45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein thefirst coil is physically connected to the second coil at a central pointto generate a single coil arrangement.